Geared power unit for oil wells



Sept. 15, 1936. P, O my 2,054,782

GEARED POWER UNIT FOR OIL WELLS Filed Aug. 11, 1933 INVENTOR party 6 ay BY W ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Percy 0. Day. Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to The Falk Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 11, 1933, Serial No. 684,629

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a central driving unit for multiple oilwell pumps.

It is common practice in the oil fields to drive 15 gediy supported and efficiently driven by means requiring minimum attention. This I accomplish by the provision of a housing forming a tight enclosure for an improved speed reduction gearing and also forming a rugged support for an N external crank or eccentric driven by the gearing and supporting and actuatingthe driving head. Provision is also preferably made for an adequate self-lubrication of all of the operating parts, including the external crank or eccentric, from a supply of lubricant contained in the housing.

Another more specific object is to provide a lubricant circulating system which will automatically maintain, without loss, an adequate supply of lubricant at the external crank or eccentric.

w Another object is to provide an improved means for supporting and sustaining the shaft of the unit in accurate positional relationship and at the same time automatically compensate for relative variations due to expansion or contraction 35 of the shafting or housing as a result of temperature fluctuations. This feature is of considerable importance in' a unit of the large size contemplated and intended for out-of-door use and in climates where temperatures vary through a relatively wide range. By thus accommodating or compensating for such variations, overloading of the bearings with consequent damage thereto or to the housing is avoided.

Other objects and advantages will appear, ex-

pressed or implied, from the following description of a driving unit constructed in accordance with the present invention.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a 50 driving unit embodying this invention.

The unit shown comprises a housing l which encloses the major portion of the working elements. The'housing I0 is split horizontally into the upper housing II and the lower housing I2.

The lower portion of the lower housing l2 forms an oil sump l3 which is filled wlthoil to a level indicated by line H.

Journalled in one end of the housing It is a high speed driving shaft IE to which power may be applied in any convenient manner at its ex- I posed end It. The inner end of the shaft carries a helical bevel pinion l1. This shaft I5 is preferably mounted to permit axial adjustment thereof to effect and maintain a proper working relation between the gear l1 and the gear l8 with 10 which it meshes.

For this purpose the shaft I5 is mounted within a sleeve 09 snugly fitted within a cylindrical opening in the housing it. The sleeve I9 is fixed in place by means of an internally threaded 13' ring 2!! which engages with external threads on the end of the sleeve it. The axial adjustment. of the shaft i5 is effected by turning the ring M in respect to the sleeve i9. Ring ii is fixed in place by a bearing cover 22 which is clamped to 20'- the housing ill and overlaps the ring 2i. This bearing cover 22 also carries the oil seal 23 which engages with the grooved ring it on the shaft it. The inner end of the shaft i5 is supported by a roller bearing 25 seated in the inner end of the 5 sleeve 99, and the outer end of the shaft it is supported within a pair of tapered roller bearings 26 seated in the outer end of the sleeve it and capable of sustaining the radial as well as the end thrust of the shaft 65.

Also journalled in the housing it is a vertical intermediate shaft 27 which is supported at its ends by an upper double end-thrust tapered roller bearing 28 and a lower roller bearing 29. This shaft-carries a gear 30, the helical pinion 3| and 85 the helical bevel gear 88 which meshes with and is driven by the helical bevel pinion ill. The upper bearing 28 of the shaft 21 is preferably removably mounted in the top of the casing and serves to adjustably fix the shaft 21 in position to maintain a proper working relation between the bevel gear l8 and the bevel pinion I1.

For this purpose the upper bearing 28 is supported in a, sleeve 32 fitted into the cylindrical opening 33 in the housing Ill. The outer race ring 4 of the bearing 28 is confined between an internal shoulder 34 in the sleeve 32 and a bearing cover 35 which has an attaching flange 36 applied over a flange 31 on the sleeve 32. The inner race rings are confined between the hub of the gear wheel 30 and a threaded nut 38 on the end of the shaft 21. This nut 38 is secured by lock washer 39. This bearing 28 fimctions to sustain the radial thrust as well as the end thrust of the shaft 21 in both directions. The axial adjustment of the shaft 21 56 flange 31.

Also journalled in the housing is a. crank shaft 48 which is supported by the upper bearing 4| and the lower bearing 42. The bearing 4| is shown similar to the upper bearing 28 of shaft 21. The inner race rings of the bearing 4| together with an oil collector ring 44 are confined between a shoulder 44 of the crank shaft 48 and a threaded nut 45 which is secured on the crank shaft 48 by the lock washer 48. The outer race ring of the bearing 4| is removably confined in the housing l8 between an internal shoulder 41 and a retaining ring. which is shown attached to the housing by cap screws 48. An oil seal 58 prevents grit and dust from entering and contaminating the oil supply.

The lower bearings 28 and 42 of the shafts 21 and 48 are of the well known non-tapered roller 20 type and are substantially similar, like parts being designated by the same numbers. The inner races of the bearings 28 and 42, together with the tapered spacer rings 5|, are confined on their respective shafts 21 and 48 between the hubs of the respective gears l8 and 54 and threaded nuts 55 on the ends of the shafts. The outer races, to-

gether with perforated spacer rings 53 are confined in each instance in a cylindrical opening 58 in the housing |8 between a cover plate 51 and a flanged ring 58, both of which are appropriately secured to the housing i8.

It will be noted that although the lower bearings 28 and 42 are fixed to their respective shafts they are not otherwise restrained against axial displacement within their respective outer race rings, so that the lower end of each shaft is thus free to float axially within to the lower section l2 of the housing. Thus, each shaft, though accurately positioned by its upper bearing 28 or 4|, is free to axially expand or contract within the casing, and

- the casing is likewise free to vertically expand or contract relative to those shafts without imposing an end thrust thereon or loading the bearings.

0n the crank shaft 48 is a large helical gear 54 which meshes with and is driven by the helical pinion 3|. The shaft 48 extends upwardly through the cover ii of the housing and carries an external crank arm 58 having a vertical crank pin 88 fixed therein. The pin 68 projects upwardly into and supports the depending hub 6| of a circular pump operating head 82, a double endthrust journal bearing 63, similar to the bearings 28 and 4| hereinabove described, being provided between the pin and hub. The periphery of the head 62 is preferably depressed into the plane of the bearing 83 and provided with a series of holes 84 for the receipt of shackle pins (not shown) or other appropriate means for connecting the several pump operating cables to the head.

An upstanding cylindrical shield 65, seated on the crank arm 58 and surrounding the hub 8| of the head, provides a catch basin for lubricant discharged from the bearing 63.

matically lubricated by oil supplied from the sump I3.

self and Walter P. Schmitter, Serial No. 487,788,

filed October 10, 1930, the pump receiving its supply from the sump l3 through a pipe 61. The

pinion l1 and gear I8 are lubricated by lubricant re ived from the pinion 3| and gear 54. The

spams:

bearings 28 and 28 of the pinion shaft l8 are lubricated substantially in the manner described in the prior patent to Walter P. Schmltter, No. 1,894,927 by lubricant thrown fromthe pinions and gears. The lower bearing 28 is lubricated by immersion in the oil supply in the sump i3, and the lower bearing 42 is lubricated by oil drippings from the gear 54.

The pump 88, which is driven from the gear 38 through a pinion 88, also supplies lubricant to the several bearings 28, 4|, and 83 preferably in the manner which will now be described. It discharges into a passage 88 and, from there, part of the oil passes upwardly through a narrow duct 18 and through a hole H to the top of the bearing 28. After circulating through this bearing 28, this oil discharges onto the gear 88 to lubricate the same and the pinion 88.

The remainder of the oil in the passage 88 flows around the sleeve 82 through a circular channel 12 cut into the housing N, then through a duct I3 into the oil distributing ring 48, and thence through ducts 14, 15, and 16 in the crank shaft 48 and ducts l1 and I8 in the pin 88, and finally through a hole 18 in a retaining cover 88 to the top of the bearings 83. After circulating through the bearing 88, the oil discharges into the basin formed by the shield 85.

The shield 85 extends upwardly a sufllcient distance to retain the oil against the centrifugal effect of the rotating crank arm 58 and is preferably sealed against the hub 82 by a felt washer 8|. This washer 8| seals the oil supply from dust and other contamination from the outside. The crank shaft revolves rather slowly so that the oil remains in the bottom of the basin and does not ordinarily rise against the felt washer 8| by centrifugal force.

The oil discharges from the basin through a duct 82 in the crank arm 58 and flows into the bearing 4|, the excess oil discharging through the overflow ducts 83 and 84, the openings 85 in the web of the gear wheel 54 into the lower hearing 42 of the crank shaft 48 and from there back into the oil sump l3.

It will thus be noted that the external crank pin bearing is adequately lubricated by oil circulated through it, without loss, from and back to the housing, thereby making it possible to lubricate this external hearing from the same source from which those bearings within the housing are lubricated. By this arrangement adequate lubrication of all of the parts is assured so long as sufilcient oil is maintained in the housing, and this requires only occasional inspection of the oil level within the external filler pipe 88 which is in open communication with the base of the housing.

It will also be noted that the housing 18 not only serves as an oil reservoir and as a. dust proof enclosure for the gearing, but also provides an adequate support for sustaining the severe loads imposed on the'operating head 62 and the crank shaft 48. The base of the housing is intended to be countersunk into an appropriate foundation of cement or the like and is preferably provided with a heavy horizontal external flange 81 surrounding the same and adapted to seat upon the foundation to rigidly brace the housing. The flange 81 is braced by vertical webs 88, and a series of external webs 88 which radiate from the crank shaft bearing hub on the upper half of the housing, reinforce the same, and serve as an additional brace for the crank shaft.

Various changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention hereinabove specificaily described without departing from or sacri- {ficing the advantages of the invention as defined 5 in the appended claim.

I claim:-

A driving unit comprising a housing having an oil reservoir therein, a vertical shaft journalled therein and projecting upwardly therefrom, speed 10 reduction gearing said shaft, a crank in said housing for drivin fixed to the projecting end of PERCY C. DAY.

to lubricate the same, means 

